Deaerating and cooling device for hydraulic transmission fluids



Aug. 9, 1949. J. c. SHAW ET AL DEAERATING A'ND COOLING DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION FLUIDS '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1947 DEAERATING AND COOLING DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION FLUIDS Filed April 25, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug, 1949- J c. SHAW ET AL. 2,478,428

Patented Aug. 9, 1949 DEAERATING AND COOLING DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION FLUIDS Joe C. Shaw and William L. WaltomRacine, Wis., assignors to Young Radiator Company, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 25, 1947, Serial No. 743,884

This invention relates to a heat-dissipating and deaerating device for hydraulic torque converters.

Increasingly hydraulic torque converters are being employed in automotive equipment. Es.- pecially is that true with highway vehicles of the heavy-duty type, and very particularly buses.

In view of the prospect of frequent if not continuous heavy loads for such equipment, provision has to be made for the dissipation of rather high temperatures and the removal of considerable air generated and churned into the fluid during the torque conversion process. Designers of equipment for freeing the fluid from such heat and air must take cognizance of the fact that in transport vehicles of this kind space is at a premium.

The main objects of this invention, therefore, are to provide an improved form and construction of a device for use in cooling and deaerating the fluid used in the hydraulic torque converters; to provide a device of this kind having an improved form of heat-transfer unit adapted for convenient and compact arrangement within an improved form of deaerating container; to provide an improved arrangement of conduits afiording communication between the heat-dispersing element and the deaerating container; to provide an improved device of this kind the parts of which may be so connected that the torque converter fluid and the coolant will be caused to flow through either of the paths in said heat-transfer unit; and to provide an improved device of this kind particularly effective for use on automotive equipment of the heavy-duty type where high efliciency and compact construction are concurrent imperatives.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional View of a preferred form of heat-dissipating and deaerating device embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the same, taken from the right of Fig. 1 on the line 2--2;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showing the manner in which the bafiles of the heatexchange unit are spaced apart and also the manner whereby one end of an outlet conduit is secured in place on one of the fittings which support the shell of the heat-transfer unit;

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of optional spring clips suitable for securing the aforesaid conduit in place; a a

Fig. 6 is a modified form of the device; and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary end view of the same, taken from the left of Fig. 6 on the line 1'|.

A heat-dissipating and deaerating device em- 6 Claims. (0]. 183-25) bodying this invention comprises a deaerating tan or container 8, which serves as a storage supply of fluid required for the torque converter, and a heat-transfer unit 9 arranged within said tank and by means of which theheat generated in the fluid by the torque converter is dissipated.

The tank or container 8, as herein shown, is of cylindrical form, although it could be of some other geometrical shape. This tank is preferably of sheet metal construction provided with flanged ring-shaped ends 10 welded in place and which provide support for the heat-transfer unit 9, as will appear more fully hereinafter. A deaerating plate or partition II is arranged axially of the tank near the top thereof. It is secured in place by means of tabs l2 welded or otherwise bonded to the partition and to the sides of the tank and providing spaces l3 between the tank and the lateral edges and at the ends of the partition which permit oil delivered above the partition II to pass down into the tank. Corrugations l I are formed in the partition II and serve to facilitate .the deaerating process. A suitably capped inlet tube I4 is arranged on the tank above the normal level of oil therein. An outlet IE on the bottom of the tank is connected to thetorque converter.

At one side, the tank 8 is formed with a rectangular-shaped clean-out manhole IS the cover for which may mount an oil gauge. A' plugged drain I! is formed at the bottom of the tank near the end l0. The'tank is also arranged with a conventional type breather l8.

s The heat-transfer unit 9, in the preferred embodiment, comprises a shell l9 mounted on and bonded to fittings 20 and 2|, within which shell is arranged a battery of tubes 22. These tubes are bonded at their ends to header plates 23 and 24 and provide communicationbetween the chambered fittings 25 and 26.

The shell [9 is preferably of thin sheet metal and has supported on the exterior thereof a plurality of heat-dissipating fins 21 of conventional form and arrangement.

The fittings 20 and 2| generally would be in the form of castings and are bonded in the ring.- shaped tank-ends III. In the preferred embodiment the casting 20 has an outlet 28 connected by a conduit 29 with the space above the tank partition II. The fitting 2| is provided with an inlet 30 communicating with an inlet 3| in the fitting 26. t

The conduit 29 is assembled on the fitting 20 by being inserted through the outlet port 28, prior to the placing of the battery of tubes 22 in the shell i9, The conduit is held in place by means of a 3 spring retainer 32 of either of the types shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The tubes 22 have their opposite ends bonded in the header plates 23 and '24. This may be done by any of the well-known methods of expansion, spinning, .or. welding. Being spaced apart, the tgbes-H'provide a labyrinth 33 around them for the flow of fluid in heat-exchange re- 22. This labyrinth 33 communicates at its oppothe inlet 30 in the fitting 2|. Bafilesfi l-of-aconventional type are radially arranged in the shell IS. The ends of adjacent banesaresneeedaway from opposite sides of the shell I9, thus .fonmihg a tortuous path for the fluid flow. through the labyrinth 33 and requiring the fluid to flow in a radial direction most of the time as git moxres. axially through the heat-transfer unit 9. 'The baffles. .34 held Propel: .sneeed rel t onsh p by or spacer s eeve .35 mounted o cer a of the-tubes .2 as m s c ear shown n. i

line header plate .23. ore. d ame a p oximately equa to, the ex erior dia e o h fittings 2 and 1 between which .itisv clamped- The header plate 2. on th oth r and, i of a diameter .slumeien ly e s than he. in erior iam eter .Qi LhQh l 1am p mit the core of the beattreasier un t .9. to be teleseonieel y insert d int orzemoyed irom the. shell l9, r

7 31c fit ines..Z.5. and 2-6, like...tl e.fitt .1.1gs,2!1 and r 21., arepreferably casting 'lhey .areadapt dtp be ted in the usual manner-to the .fitt nssLZJ lationship with a fluid flowing through the tubes,

10 site ends'with the outlet. 28 in the fitting zll'zahd' space above the tank partition ll.

4. by the broken-line arrows in Fig. 1 and is discharged through the conduit 29 into the tank 8 above the partition II. In its tortuous passage through the labyrinth 33, this oil has the heat thereof absorbed by the water passing through the tubes. [2 .as. indicated by .the dotted arrows in Fig. 1. This {heat of the oil .is practically dissipated by the time the oil is discharged into the However, as *the oil emerges from the labyrinth it still retains .rnuch :oi the air churned into it during its passage. :through the torque converter. The dis- ..charge of thls. aerated oil through the conduit29 onto partition 11 causes it to spread out over thesuriace'thereoi. Reduced to a comparatively shallow stream; and of necessity flowing along r the partition H. up over the corrugations ll,

and 2-! respectively. Gaskets. 36, areinserted 1b.e-

tween he header nlatemand he fittings. Ziland c :15. and a gasket ring .31 is set. the. chamier 13. teseal the juncture of the fittings. Z1 and With other a d. iththe h ad r pl te .24.,

Ines-nine as formed with achambe .32 by me ns of. the ub s 12 are c nnected with a duidsu enly through the m di m f an inlet pert All. likewise hefitting Zfiis. iormed w tha chamber ll by means of which the tubes. lz-at their other endsare connected with aiiuideutlet 12i. Qenerallytheseiwrt All-and 5.2 re, con- Y nected to the Water cooling system for the engine which powers the v h e e,

i lhe m difiea on. shown in. Figs... 5 and em,- plays. an auxiliary enter shell 3-cone ntrically arranged with respect o th mainv .she s and on wh sker-e support d the h atedissir t ng rims IS; The fittings 20, ;2:l, 2.5.,,ar d ifiare-medifledso o provid eemmunieat ee with annular space 44 between t shells and 4.9 well threughth tub s ,2.

' Fe. 6 is ad itio the 1 mi per t on e; of fluids wherebythe-ee lan riiew thro gh the labyrinth '33 and. terdue eenverter :fluid flew-s throu h the uhes-.; In su h modificati a con uit 45 is connected to. the outlet-pm 4.2 of

the. fitting :26 exterior r of dist nt :8 a d. eretended in through the right-hand --17-,an;l;- end in above the partition 1. t. fittin 1 11s. modifie so as to. eliminate-the radiallyedisposed opening tor the conduit 29 but. has an .axialfiehannel A6 connecting the outlet 28 with) a similarlydise posed port 4'1 iormed' in a modified fitting 25.

The operation of the prefer-redform olfheatdissipating anddeaerating device is as follows:

lfhe torque converter fiuid preierabl y' 'oil, eomesdirectly from'the torque converter in its highly heated and aerated condition and enters the-labyrinth '33 through the ports :34 and "The oil flows through the labyrinth as indicated limodi-n-ation or I afiords the air an opportunity to escape into the top of the tank 8. The cooled and deaerated oil spills over the lateral edges and the end of; the

partition H into the space in the "tank below the partition: V V 7 w r V v In the modification shown in Fig.6 the heated oil from the torque converter enters the-port '40 in the fitting 25 and flows through the tubes '22 and through the space 44 between the shel'ls +9 and 43, and thence up through the conduit 45 to the space above the tank partition H; as "indieatedfby the broken line arrows in said figure.

The coolantin this case enters through the inlet ports '26 and 21 and flows through the labyrinth 33* and thence out through the outlet ports #6 and 411. V

Other variations and modifications in the details of structure and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the spirit and coverage of the appended claims.

We claim: 7 V I 1. A device of the class described comprising, affluid supply tank ,having a fluid outlet, an axially-disposed transverse partition arranged at one side of said tank remote from said outlet affording communication between opposite sides of said partition, a shell arranged within said tank in spaced relationship to said partition, a

battery of tubes "supported in said shell in spaced relationship to each other so as to provide a' labyrinth around said "tubes for the flow oi fluid in heat exchange relationship with; a. coolant flow through said tubes, fittings mounted on the endsgof said tank or supporting said shell and.

having inlets and outlets communicating with said, labyrinth and with said tubes, and a conduit connecting one of said outlets with the space above said tank partition. 7

2. A device of the class described comprising,

' a fluid supply tankhavinga fluid outlet, an axial- Life 'ly -disposed transverse partition arranged at one side of said tan-k remote from'said outlet and having portions of its perimeter-'spaced'from the sides of said tank so as to afiord communication bea tween opposite sides "of said partition, a shell arranged within said tank in spaced relationship ly-disposed transverse partition arranged at one side of said tank remote from said outlet and afiording communication between opposite sides of said partition, a pair of concentrically positioned shells arranged within said tank in spaced relationship to said partition, a battery of tubes supported in the inner of said shells in spaced relationship to each other so as to provide a labyrinth around said tubes for the flow of fluid in heat exchange relationship with a coolant flow through said tubes, fittings mounted on said tank for supporting said shells and having an inlet and an outlet communicating with said labyrinth and another inlet and another outlet communicating with said tubes and the space between said shells, and a conduit connecting one of said fitting outlets with the space above said tank partition.

4. A device of the class described comprising, a fluid supply tank having a fluid outlet, an axially-disposed transverse partition arranged at one side of said tank remote from said outlet and afiording communication between opposite sides of said partition, a shell arranged Within said tank in spaced relationship to said partition, a battery of tubes supported in said shell in spaced relationship to each other so as to provide a labyrinth around said tubes for the flow of fluid in heat exchange relationship with a coolant flow through said tubes, fittings mounted on the ends of said tank for supporting said shell and having inlets and outlets communicating with said labyrinth and with said tubes, and a conduit located Within said tank and connecting the outlet for said labyrinth with the space above said tank partition.

5. A device of the class described comprising, a fluid supply tank having a fluid outlet, an axially-disposed transverse partition arranged at one side of said tank remote from said outlet and affording communication between opposite sides of said partition, a shell arranged within said tank in spaced relationship to said partition, a battery of tubes supported in said shell in spaced relationship to each other so as to provide a labyrinth around said tubes for the flow of fluid in heat exchange relationship with a coolant flow through said tubes, fittings mounted on the ends 6 of said tank for supporting said shell and having inlets and outlets communicating with said labyrinth and with said tubes, and a conduit connecting the fitting outlet communicating with said tubes with the space above said tank partition.

6. A device of the class described comprising, a fluid supply tank having a fluid outlet, an axially-disposed partition arranged at one side of said tank remote from said outlet and affording communication between opposite sides of said partition, heads for said tank, a fitting arranged in each of said tank heads, a shell spanning said fittings and secured at its ends thereto, a pair of tube headers one of a diameter not greater than the internal diameter of said shell, a battery of tubes spacing said headers apart substantially the distance between the outer faces of said fittings, said tubes having their ends anchored in the respective fittings with the tubes spaced apart to provide a labyrinth around said tubes for the flow of fluid in heat exchange reiationship with a coolant flow through said tubes, a second fitting secured to each of said first-mentioned fittings and each provided with a chamber communicating with said tubes, each of said first-mentioned fittings having a port communicating with said labyrinth, each of said second-mentioned fittings having a port communicating with the respective chambers, and a conduit connecting one of the ports communicating with said labyrinth with the space above said tank partition.

JOE C. SI-IAW. WM. L. WALTQN.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,013,329 Strohbach Jan. 2, 1912 1,101,969 Still June 30, 1914 1,734,515 Elliott Nov. 5, 1929 2,223,688 Jabelmann Dec. 3, 1940 2,254,070 Jacocks Aug. 26, 1941 

